The majority of presently utilized electrolysis needles are of the re-sterilizable type and include an extremely fine tip or blade constructed of surgical steel wire which is adapted to be inserted into a hair follicle of a patient along side a hair shaft in the dermis. This fine tipped portion is mechanically clenched or otherwise attached to a larger shank portion and in turn is adapted to be received into an electrical connection socket in the hand held instrument portion of an overall electrolysis device. A description of such prior art needles and electrolysis machines is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,808 issued Nov. 22, 1988 to the present inventor. The specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,808 is hereby incorporated into the present application by specific reference thereto.
Electrolysis machines also in some cases incorporate a source of pressurized air generated in the machine itself or elsewhere and direct a flow of such air through the instrument body and thence along or close to the needle so as to contact the area of the patient's skin adjacent the point of penetration to cool the skin or otherwise distract the patient from the slight discomfort produced by such process. In such air flow procedures, it is a simple matter to regulate the flow of such by modifying the hole size in the end of the protective cap through which the fine needle projects, that is, the opening between the cap and needle is adjusted larger or smaller dependent upon the amount of air flow desired.
Such re-sterilizable needles include a number of disadvantages as set forth in the above referred to patent and, accordingly, fully disposable needle assemblies in which the needle is embedded within a plastic body so as to form, in effect, a one-piece construction which after use is discarded have become increasingly desirable. Such one-piece needle assemblies are as explained in the aforementioned patent provided with a rearwardly extending shank portion which extends into a forwardly disposed receiving socket at the forward end of the hand held portion of the electrolysis instrument. With such constructions, however, there are no means to provide the aforementioned cooling and/or distracting air flow adjacent the patient's skin and, accordingly, such effect would be desirable as an object of the present invention.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a system and apparatus by which completely disposable needle assemblies such as described in the aforementioned patent may be more easily removed from the hand held electrolysis unit such that the operator has less likelihood of coming in contact with the needle portion of the needle assembly which after use must be considered contaminated under today's procedures.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by the provision of a disposable, single use, throw away electrolysis needle assembly having a forward portion from which a needle forwardly projects, a shank portion disposed rearwardly thereof and adapted to contact the face of the electrolysis instrument handle surrounding the needle assembly receiving socket thereof and a rearwardly extending shank portion adapted to extend into and be connected with the socket and wherein at least the shank portion and flange are provided with at least one radially inwardly extending channel such that air from a pressurized air source existing in the socket may pass through said needle assembly so as to contact the skin of the human patient adjacent the contact point of the needle therewith and further in which a hollow tubular safety cap is provided for fitment over the forward end of the needle assembly and by which the needle assembly may be inserted and withdrawn by the hand held portion of the electrolysis body itself and which is subsequently disposed along with the needle assembly while such protective cap is positioned on the forward end of the needle body and thus covers the forwardly extending needle portion thereof.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.